If you have a preschooler who has caught the dino bug, these small remote dinos will be a hit. New this year, is a very friendly Brontosaurus. He joins last year's award winning T REX and the Triceratops-- all are easy to control (both with one button). They're friendly, not scary. A great first remote control vehicle for the three and up crowd.

The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

This is a lot like the game of Simon, only instead of touching the right color you jump on or bend and tag the targets. Set it at level 1-2-or 3 and the game gets tougher at each level. Can be played solo or teams. Level one calls for color or number recognition. Level two adds trickier calls such as reverse and doubles. Level three and four calls for double digit numbers, reverse and faster harder calls. A challenging active game that develops listening skills as well as the need for quick responses. Can be played indoors and out. A good choice for play dates, party or sleepovers. 3 triple A batteries required. 6 & up.

The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

Age: Early School Years.
Award Year: 2009.
Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Players rearrange the Tiki faces in the center of the board. Players get one secret Tiki card at the start of the game. Each player has a set of action cards. During each round every player uses the action card to rearrange the Tikki. The object is to get the three Tiki colors on your secret card to the top of the Tikki line up. Players keep from each round aiming for winning score of 35 points. A 2-4 player game that requires sequencing skills and strategy. 10 & up.

The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

Age: Later School Years.
Award Year: 2008.
Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Our testers laughed out loud as they played this fast paced and easy to learn dice game. Hold on to one dog die as you roll the others. You get points for every acorn you roll while you avoid rolling a car. Two cars and no score! Roll all squirrels and you get to call “Go nuts!” That signals you opponent to start rolling his dog die that has dog houses and dog heads on its many sides. You keep rolling for points until your opponent rolls a dog die and barks to end your score! Takes about 12 minutes a round. 2-4 players. Take this out when you need some silly time. 8 & up.

The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

Age: Early School Years.
Award Year: 2008.
Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Set up the colored marbles in their track and turn up one of many colored pattern cards. Players race to be the first to hit all of their marbles into the track before their opponent. A game with quick rounds and plenty of opportunities to win some and lose some. You need to put this out of reach of younger siblings who may mouth the marbles. No magnets, but marbles are a choking hazard for younger kids. 5 & up.

The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

Age: Early School Years.
Award Year: 2009.
Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

What could be better than a bright red locomotive engine that kids can control with ease? Newest of the My First remote control vehicles with simple controller that are easy enough for young preschoolers to operate. Push the top button and the Red Engine goes forward. Push the bottom button and it goes left. This has a whistle sound and plenty of play that involves locomotion of toy and child! A developmental match for on-the-go tots and their love of transportation toys, active play, and early pretend. 2 ½ & up.

The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

Royal Rescue Logic Game (Educational Insights $25 Score:) A booklet of challenges ( and solutions) comes with this set of 8 “castle blocks, a base and a roal couple. At the start of each challenge you can use the pieces shown in the base. Using only the added pieces shown in the puzzle, you must make it possible for the royals to get to each other. The puzzles get increasingly more challenging. Introduce this to you 506 year old and before long they will be solving the puzzles on their own. A good choice for developing spatial reasoning and problem solving skills that require some trial and error along with stick-to-it patience. It’s designed for single players but who says you can’t take turns? Nicely packaged and the wooden playing pieces are finished smoothly. Also see Castle Logix. 5 & up.
The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

With a set of four castle style blocks and three posts, and puzzle book players must solve a series of progressively challenging puzzles. Using the pictorial images a player must use the playing pieces to construct the towers as shown. The solution takes, time and problem solving skills or a turn of the page to see the answer to the puzzle. Designed for 5 & up, this is a game that may take some handholding to start. Once they get the hang of it, this is likely to be a fun solo game, playing cooperatively or taking turns. Also see the Royal Rescue Logic game from the same maker. 5 & up The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

Age: Early School Years.
Award Year: 2008.
Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Most slider games require big tables and big bucks. This mini-slider game is perfectly scaled for the kitchen table doesn’t cost a bundle for a variety of satisfying games. Players set up their small token size sliders and take turns sending them toward the target. Add the score and move small “markers” on individual playing boards. There are a variety of target boards that change the game and become more challenging. There’s some skill involved in sending the sliders to the target, but this is really a game kids and adults of mixed ages can enjoy together. No reading and only simple adding involved with score keeping. Plenty of opportunities to win and lose, an important learning ingredient for young players. 6 & up.

The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

Age: Early School Years, Later School Years.
Award Year: 2008.
Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Twenty-five pieces of bristle like plastic blocks can be stacked on the clever storage table or used for stand-alone construction play. The neat little table has non-specific shape sorter style slots for dropping blocks into the hollow leg buckets on either side of the table. Best of all, a small turntable can be switched on with a push of a big orange button to set some of the blocks in motion. There are also smaller sets of Clipo that make nice additions: There are two buckets: Figure Set ($19.99) and Vehicle Bucket ($19.99) and still smaller basic sets ($5.99 to 14.99). 18 months & up.

We have not yet received a signed verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab. SNAP ACTIVITIES:There are no right or wrong ways to build with these bristle like blocks that fit into the little table top desk. There a small turntable that is easy to turn on with a push of a big orange button that will send the blocks turning round and round. How many blocks can they put on the turntable before the blocks fall off? You can use the playing pieces for simple counting. Are there more yellow or blue? More red than green? All of these comparisons are fun ways to engage them with color concepts and simple counting. This is an excellent open ended toy that will help develop dexterity as well as visual discrimination.